by Aline Hunter
He wanted something…or someone.
But who? There wasn’t anyone of notice in the coven. Not really. The strongest of them was a newborn who didn’t know how to cast a spell. And Leigh hated using magic…
A veil lifted, giving her free sight.
Leigh.
It all made sense.
One mouthful of Sadie’s blood and Aldon had seen what Leigh could do. With the fledgling’s help he’d be able to locate people with simple objects and influence the minds of others. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Leigh detested blood but once she accepted what she was and embraced her full potential she’d be as formidable as a demigod.
Goddess, save us.
With Leigh’s powers, Aldon would be unstoppable.
Terrified and unable to do anything more than witness what was to come, she shouted out to Leigh with her mind, putting as much warning into the thought as possible.
“Run.”
Trey didn’t stop to see if Nathan had been harmed during their collision. As soon as his feet were steady he rushed for Sadie. Fuck, she was pale. So damn lifeless it terrified him. Right then he didn’t care about anything but getting to her. Something warned him if he didn’t he might not get a second chance.
The yards that separated them felt like miles.
Leigh plunged to her knees, sinking to Sadie’s side. She gripped Sadie’s torso, babbling words that made no sense. The moment she had a decent grip on his mate she fell on her ass and tugged Sadie closer. Aldon appeared behind them and snagged Leigh by the back of her neck. The frail female struggled, screaming in fear, holding on to Sadie for dear life. Nathan’s outraged bray carried through the hallway, informing Trey his Beta was right on his ass.
Sadie’s voice seemed to roar through his head, pounding in his ears, her desperation palpable. “Don’t let him take her.”
For the first time Aldon’s self-assured smirk vanished. He bent at the waist and pulled on Leigh’s neck, ripping one of her arms free from Sadie’s limp form. Leigh thrust her legs out, wrapping them around Sadie’s waist and locking her ankles together. Each yank from Aldon lifted Leigh and Sadie from the ground. Leigh’s dark hair cascaded around her face and shoulders, the knot she’d placed it in falling apart. It was the craziest fucking thing Trey had ever seen, a tangle of arms, legs and hair.
For a moment Aldon, Leigh and Sadie seemed to flicker as though their bodies were dissipating before his eyes. Panic and terror sent Trey’s senses into hyper-alert. He moved faster than he ever had in his life, building speed. Aldon was trying to phase them out. If he succeeded Trey might not ever find his mate again. He’d rip the entire goddamn building apart before that happened.
“Do it and I’ll fucking kill you!” he thundered.
Aldon lifted his head, staring Trey in the eye. The vampire’s irises changed color, going from dark to icy blue. His white-blond hair lifted into the air as he called on the magic inside him. Although being a natural born Alpha protected Trey from the compulsion to shift forms or fall prey to Aldon’s dark magic, he couldn’t stem the way the energy felt and the way it seemed to charge his skin.
Motherfucker.
He snarled when the tingle of magic flittered over his flesh, infuriated and petrified for his mate when his feet left the ground. An invisible force thrust him aside, knocking the wind from his lungs. He threw up his arms, trying to shield himself as his body flew toward the upstairs railing. There was no way he could prevent the collision so he braced for impact.
Wood splintered and parted as he broke through the beams, several spindles snapping and hurtling to the lower floor. He almost went over the edge with them but managed to extend his nails, slamming down his hands, burying his sharp claws into the wooden floor. His lower body hung over the lip of the walkway, legs kicking into empty space.
Don’t let go. Get back up.
Nathan’s livid growl had him flexing his fingers, digging his claws into the floor. He held on tight, commanding his muscles to bear his weight. The wolf inside him backed the order, rising to the surface, giving him strength. He lifted his head and watched Nathan slam into Aldon. The vampire released Leigh but the impact broke her away from Sadie. His mate came at him, sliding across the floor, stopping just shy of the jagged railing. She was so close if his hands were free he could reach out and snatch her.
I’ll fucking kill him. Nice and slow.
Glancing at Aldon and Nathan, he collected his energy to make it to the upper level.
Then he felt the soft brush of Sadie’s lips over the back of his wrist.
In his dreams her bite was the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced.
This time, however, it wasn’t quite the same.
Her fangs scored the delicate bones in his wrist, her aim not true or clean. He hissed when her lips surrounded the torn tissue and she sucked. She drew so fucking hard on his skin he wondered if she’d rip the shit away from his bones. Although he wanted to provide for her, he tried to force her away. He’d feed her as soon as this was over. He had to hurry.
Aldon and Nathan had taken their fight to the floor.
Nathan wasn’t strong enough to take down the vampire. Fuck, Trey wasn’t sure who or what would be capable of such a thing. In the past Aldon had been one hell of an ally. Now? He was a bitch of an opponent. Trey knew the man was resilient. But this? He’d never imagined such a thing.
“Sadie, baby,” he murmured, trying to get her attention. “Let go.”
Her hands lashed out, wrapping around his forearm. The suction around his wrist increased, blood seeping past her lips. He watched, amazed, as color returned to her cheeks. Her fingers changed, filling out. To his amazement the rest of her did as well. Her face plumped, softness padding her bones. Each swallow resurrected her from death, bringing her back to life.
Lightheadedness assailed him and white speckles danced over his eyes.
Fucking shit.
He was going to pass out. If that happened, he couldn’t protect her.
No way in hell. I’ll die first.
“Enough!” Aldon yelled, breaking Trey’s attention from his mate.
Nathan flew from one side of the hallway to the other, collapsing in a heap on the ground. The Beta didn’t try to rise, still and unmoving on the floor, meaning he was out for the count. Trey hoped like hell the damage wasn’t permanent. He didn’t think it was. He felt each and every death in his pack. Nathan wasn’t done, not yet. He must’ve lost consciousness. It was the only thing that would prevent him from getting up and charging at Aldon.
There was no way Nathan would leave Leigh unprotected.
Leigh tripped over her feet when Aldon turned toward her. She backed away, kicking out with her legs, shuffling along with her hands. Her huge blue eyes were full of panic, her pale pink lips parted in horror.
Son of a bitch.
Aldon was going to take her and there was nothing Trey could do about it. Sadie had taken so much blood he wasn’t sure he could maintain a grip on the floor much less take on a vampire with immeasurable strength. Aldon advanced—one more step and he’d have Leigh in his grasp—and lifted his right arm.
Sadie disappeared—there one moment and gone the next.
The miserable burning at his wrist vanished.
Before he could react to her loss, Sadie reappeared in front of Leigh.
Her artic-blue eyes blazed in warning, her hands splayed open at her sides. She hadn’t bothered removing his blood from the corners of her mouth, the liquid making her lips appear cherry-red. In the blink of an eye she formed a fist and planted it directly in the middle of Aldon’s face. The blow carried more power than Trey would have thought Sadie capable of.
Aldon staggered back several feet, lifting a hand to his bloodied lip, narrowing his eyes.
Sadie stretched her arm behind her, reaching toward her fallen comrade. A silent communication took place between the women, a mental message from one vampire to the other. One moment Leigh was terrified
and on her ass and the next she was on her knees, reaching for Sadie’s wrist. Leigh bared her fangs and lowered her mouth toward Sadie’s pale skin.
“Not so fast,” Aldon barked, moving so quickly Trey didn’t have a chance to let go of the railing or get out of the asshole’s range. The vampire’s hand wound around Trey’s throat, Aldon’s grip so tight it felt as though it crushed his windpipe.
Fuck me.
“Don’t.” Sadie didn’t sound as confident, her voice cracking. “Leave him out of this.”
“All it’ll take is a flex of my fingers.” Aldon’s hold on Trey’s neck intensified, depriving him of oxygen. “I’ll snap his neck like a twig.”
He totally could too. His fingers were locked tight.
Trey gagged, needing to draw a breath.
“His pack will avenge him.” Sadie’s words were laced with venom. “I’ll make sure Diskant Black knows what went down here. They’ll come for you. They’ll hunt you down.”
“Consider it a risk I’m willing to take.”
Trey choked, cursing his failure as an Alpha and male. He’d never felt so weak or useless in his life. Here was, just shy of losing consciousness, when his mate needed him most. Sheer willpower had him directing his gaze toward Sadie, needing to convey his failure, sorrow and shame to her.
Leave it him to fuck things up in the most monumental way possible.
It wasn’t bad enough he’d made her suffer for months. Oh no.
Now, when there was nothing left and he was going to die, he was leading her into her grave as well. He’d seen how bad she was—realized that Leigh had told him the truth about Sadie’s condition the moment he laid eyes on his female’s thin and fragile form—and knowing he was about to force her to endure the same torment…
Fuck, it tore him up inside.
Never.
His wolf rose, taking over, and he let it. His body started shifting. He didn’t fight it, deciding it was all he had left. The beast readily answered his call, eager for blood, hungry for the kill. This is what he should have done from the start.
Enter. Destroy.
Claim.
Fur sprouted from his skin as his bones contorted. The animal wanted to tear out Aldon’s throat and howl in victory as the life faded from the vampire’s eyes. It would destroy the male who dared threaten its mate, sending a warning far and wide of what would happen if anyone fucked with what belonged to the wolf and the wolf alone.
“Make your choice,” Aldon warned, maintaining his grip despite Trey’s shift from man to beast. “Three…two…”
A hand snaked around the back of Aldon’s neck, Nathan’s fingers taut as he snarled, “Remember me, motherfucker?”
Trey dropped when Aldon released him, falling rapidly toward the ground. He finished his shift midair, trying to land on his feet. Power coursed through him, brought on by the change. The effects of his recent blood loss evaporated. He hit cushiony carpet with a dull thud, covered in shredded pieces of clothing. Shaking the garments from his body, he stood on shaky legs. His sides heaved as he fought to breathe, rotating toward the stairs as he gained his balance.
He heard the fighting upstairs.
His Beta would give it all he had but Nathan could only hold Aldon off for so long.
While his second-in-command was strong, the vampire was built like a fucking Viking, not to mention Aldon had some serious mystical juju at his disposal. Trey rushed up each wooden slat, racing against the clock, determined not to fail his female this time. His wolf snarled, its jaws clenching in anticipation. Arriving at his destination, he discovered Leigh was gone and Nathan was on the ground beneath Aldon. Sadie was bent over the two, her arm wrapped snugly around the vampire’s waist.
“Let him go,” she ordered and fisted her fingers in Aldon’s hair, snapping his head back.
Aldon jerked away from Nathan and reached behind him as he rose. “You stupid little bitch.”
His nails lengthened, becoming sharp as he raked them along Sadie’s back, tearing through her shirt and skin from mid-back to shoulder. She didn’t scream but Trey heard her whimper. Fury consumed him, coating the world in a haze of red. He’d kill the stupid piece of shit. Break every bone in his goddamned body.
“Fine, we’ll do it your way,” Aldon whispered. “For now.”
A solid burst of magic sent Sadie away from Aldon and Nathan, her slim form rushing across the distance toward him. He felt hopeless in that moment, knowing he couldn’t shift fast enough to catch her, wishing that somehow he could.
For once—thank God—he wasn’t left with an enormous amount of shame as a mate.
Sadie righted herself like a cat, using momentum and speed to rotate her torso around. He moved aside, watching in awe as she landed on her feet. She rose with her fists balled, ready to face Aldon. She radiated beauty and strength, a true sight to behold.
Magic blasted from her.
It felt different. Not as dark. Almost pleasant in a way. The sensation bristled over his fur and settled comfortably against his skin. It calmed him, soothing the wolf, giving him a sense of strength he’d lost when she’d drank from him.
Before she could use her power or wield her magic Aldon raised his hand, saluted her and said, “This isn’t over.”
Then he disappeared, leaving Nathan on the ground, Trey growling at empty air and Sadie standing over the two of them—braced for war with no adversary in sight.
Chapter Four
Protection.
Find what you need.
Sword, sword, sword.
Sadie’s training kicked in, directing her as though she were on autopilot. Aldon could reappear at any moment. In order to defend herself and everyone else she needed her weapon. She closed her eyes and focused, calling on her magic. The blade she carried had been attuned to her by blood.
If it was nearby she’d sense it…
There.
She didn’t hesitate, launching herself over the railing. The instant she landed she moved, hurrying toward the hum of magic. It didn’t matter why Aldon hadn’t kept the sword instead of tossing it in the trash. His stupidity equaled her gain. She saw the sheath, identifying the leather she painstakingly oiled once a week.
Yes. This is what she needed.
The instant the hilt hit her hand she pulled the weapon free of the casing.
Movement caught her eye. She reared back, ready to dish out some heavy damage, sending a surge of magic down her arm and into her weapon. She’d expected an attack. Aldon would come at her blindly, ready to take her down immediately. What she hadn’t anticipated was Trey—naked as the day he was born—wrapping his arms around her waist as he sank to his knees. The thrill of impending battle had her blood pumping but Trey’s touch sent her thoughts in another direction. A split second, the weight of his body leaning steadily against hers, and she was doomed. She lowered her arm and peered down, gazing at his dark hair and tanned, muscular shoulders.
She’d been so wrong.
Memories didn’t do him justice at all.
In person he was bigger, stronger—sexier.
Licking her lips, she savored the small sampling of blood she hadn’t bothered wiping away. She should have asked for permission but she hadn’t. When she’d bitten him earlier she’d been too focused on her hunger to think about consideration or lust. Now, however, she was more than aware of the man. She could smell him, feel the heat of his body and hear the hurried rhythm of his pulse.
“Easy, darlin’,” he murmured, his voice like gravel cascading over silk. “I’ve got you.”
Her eyes burned as she struggled to hold back tears.
If only that was true.
She wanted so desperately for it to be, for Trey to hold her, keep her…
Love her.
Months of longing had brought her to this moment, confronting her own worst enemy. Even if she’d tried to convince herself that she’d deny the male, she wanted him too much to do so. She could have died without experiencing any of the
things she yearned for most with the man at her feet. The blood she’d consumed rushed through her body, suffusing her muscles with life, bringing on a desire so strong it could devour them both.
Her nipples hardened to points, the fire in her belly pulsing downward to her clit. His hair brushed her forearm when he feathered his lips over her free hand, the teeniest of touches yet goose bumps spread all over her skin. How would those prickly strands feel against her thighs if he went down on her? Would he take his time? Or would he go at her like the wild man she imagined he’d be?
He’d know what he was doing. Men like him had years of experience.
“Leigh.” Nathan’s appearance at the foot of the stairs—as well as the name he uttered—iced the heat in Sadie’s veins. “Where did she go?” he demanded, snarling. “Take me to her.”
How selfish could she possibly be?
One touch and she’d forgotten about her responsibilities. Leigh’s safety wasn’t important. Nothing was. All she could think about was Trey—his scent, his warmth, how good he felt.
Damn her for being so weak and vulnerable.
She deserved whatever she had coming to her.
“Where is she?” Nathan shouted.
Sadie wanted to respond but wasn’t certain what she should say.
Leigh had taken enough of Sadie’s blood to flee but was her friend safe? Had she taken shelter at the coven? Or had she ventured to a safe house? Sadie hadn’t had enough time to think ahead or ask her sister-in-magic what her plans might be. Since Aldon had made it clear he’d do whatever it took ensure Leigh’s capture—and the fucking prick was strong enough to phase her out of any location—she had to make sure Leigh would be safe. The coven had power but was only capable of so much. They weren’t physical creatures and never had been.
That was her job.
You’ve got to go. Find her. Formulate a plan.
Shifters—to her knowledge—didn’t read minds, but Trey might as well have. “No,” he growled, holding her tighter. “You’re not going anywhere.” She wondered how it was possible, thinking maybe she’d misdirected a thought in his direction when he said, “You belong to me, baby. Leigh told me everything. The moment you drank from me you sealed the deal. You’re stuck with me. Don’t even think about trying to escape.”
